More Than Flesh & Bone

Chapter 42

DISSENSION

The council room was packed. People were pressed up against each other like cookies in a box. The air felt hot. Stifling, despite the air conditioner running on full blast. It wasn't just the number of people packed into the Council's meeting room, though. Tension settled over the crowd. It ran from one person to the next, growing heavier with each silent moment.

Zed and I shuffled into the back, trying not to be noticed given that we were tardy.

The members of the Council sat, gathered around their long table. All except for Zevon, that was.

He stood apart from the others with his hands clasped behind his back.

"… the reapers have dealt with the problem. The Council has passed judgment that the werewolf in question will be given life on parole. He'll live with his pack, but be unable to leave their territory."

Looks like we were more than a little late if they'd already explained most of the situation, at least the version of it they were going by. I highly doubt Zevon was going to tell them all about his own son's involvement. Admitting that Zayne had been a murderer and controlling the poor guy wasn't exactly a great way to instill faith in the zombies… or their leader.

"That doesn't sound very much like a punishment," a voice rose from the crowd, but I couldn't pick out where it came from.

One person was all it took to sow dissent among the mass of supernaturals. After everything that had happened, tensions weren't just running high. They were under incredible strain and threatening to snap entirely.

"He killed three vampires," another voice said, coming from the side of the room.

The group right in front of Zed and I shifted uneasily.

"And two fae, let's not forget that," a third voice added, coming from the opposite side of the room. I pinpointed this one because she was standing near the front. Tall and ethereal, her lavender hair was tied to one side and her vivid green eyes were narrowed on the Council before us.

"I've given harder punishments in the bedroom," a fourth voice shouted. I recognized it as the Bettie Page look-a-like I'd met at the Succubus United house, also known as Sigma Upsilon.

That one got a few chuckles from the crowd, but it did nothing to ease the growing unrest.

"That's hardly called for," Bree's mom, and the succubus/incubus representative on the Council said. Her voice was hard, but judging from the look on her face, I got the impression she didn't disagree.

"And you, Vanna?" a distinctly masculine voice called. "You can stand for this injustice?" The man didn't yell or speak as loudly as the others. On the contrary, his voice was fairly soft. He stepped forward from the crowd of what I'd assumed was vampires given the distinct resemblance most of them had to both the vampire representative and Gretel, my ghostly Siri. His hair was blonde, and skin unbelievably pale. There was a gold glint to his eyes. The hardness of his features reminded me of marble statues.

"There were special conditions and things in play that you do not know," the vampire representative replied, tapping her blood-red nails along the hard edge of the wooden table. Her expression was cold.

"Such as?" he asked.

"The Council decided they will bot be disclosed," she replied, her voice quieter still.

I got the distinct impression that, like Bree's mom, the lady vamp didn't agree with the ruling. And if not even the Council could agree on the punishment, how did they expect the rest of the supernatural community to blindly accept it?

Zed and I exchanged uneasy looks as murmurs started to fill the room. The words themselves were indistinguishable, but the anger that laced them was unmistakable.

"This is bullshit," someone growled from the back, their anonymity making them bold.

A chorus of 'yeahs' sounded in agreement.

My eyes shifted back to the Council table, falling on the werewolf representative. Danger was coming off of her in waves. Her eyes were narrowed. Her lips were tensed. I didn't know the woman, but even I could tell she was barely reining in her temper.

"How can you allow this?" the lavender-haired beauty questioned loudly.

"A woman with dark blue hair rose from her place at the table, her butterfly wings twitching with what I assumed was agitation. "Rules were broken, the Council does not disagree. But a vote was cast, and this is the path that was chosen."

"Notice how she emphasized it was the Council's choice?" I whispered to Zed.

He nodded. "The fae are rarely lenient. Anything less than execution would not appeal to them."

Despite the united front they were presenting, the Council was far from unified about this decision. Three of the seven must have fought against the choice. My gut was telling me that didn't bode well for the rest of us.

Zevon made an angry sound low in his throat. "Enough. The decision has been made. The Council's ruling is law. You will stop this foolish whining and return to your lives. Any further acts of violence against the wolf packs or the reapers will not be tolerated. We will enforce a zero-tolerance policy for anyone caught participating in such acts of hate. The threat is neutralized, the curfew is lifted, you are all safe. That is all you need to know."

Around us, the murmurs of dissent grew louder.

"Dirty soul-stealer," a low, angry voice hissed behind me.

"If there's a zero-tolerance for violence, then why is the wolf-pup being shown leniency?" another voice cried out.

"Someone should tell your dad that ordering people to just get along rarely works out well," I whispered. "It's like telling someone to get over their feelings. Things aren't that easy. If anything, it's only going to make it worse."

Zed lifted a brow. "You think I don't know that?"

"So why is he acting like he's just done everybody a favor, then?" I asked, truly curious.

"Because he probably believes he did," Zed mumbled.

I gestured to the crowd. "Is he blind? Do these people look happy to you?"

Zed's lips twisted into a grimace. "Some of them?" he replied, but it sounded like a question.

"Meeting adjourned…" Zevon started, but he was cut off by a dozen angry voices.

"You owe us justice, zombie!" a dark-haired vampire shouted.

"The dead have rights," another woman insisted.

Zevon's voice dropped to a scary, seething tone. "The next person who talks out against the Council's ruling will be imprisoned for the foreseeable future."

My eyebrows lifted. "I didn't realize stifling freedom of speech was a tenant of supernatural society."

"It isn't," Zed said, his voice hard. "He feels locked into a corner between the Council and his own position over the reapers. If people start questioning that position, there will be problems. He doesn't know how to fix the damage done, so he's falling back on the only thing he knows." Zed looked sideways, his eyes falling on me. "Aggression."

"If he actually imprisons someone for speaking out…" My own voice was drowned out as the vampire male from before interjected.

"The Council's ruling? Or your ruling?"

A hush fell over the room as Zevon's face turned red with anger.

"That's it." He snapped his fingers. "Bartholomew. James. Bran..."

"Really, Vanna? You'll stand for this? Your own kind silenced by a zombie who's gone soft?"

The man's open questioning of the vampiress told me things were only going to move from bad to worse if this kept up. Tempers were running high. The loss was too great. These people didn't want justice, they wanted revenge. Retribution.

Since Zayne's role in this massacre, and his subsequent death, was being left out, these people didn't realize that the one at fault had already been dealt with. The werewolf, who was just sentenced to a lifetime of confinement within his pack's borders, was a victim of this same blind hate. His desire for vengeance after his brother was killed was what led him to kill Zayne, who in turn split both his own soul and the wolf's. This all-consuming need for revenge was what started this mess, and if we didn't find a way to neutralize it… the bloody cycle would only continue.

"You were given a warning, Carlise, and you chose to not heed it. Regardless of your opinion on the ruling, you chose to speak." She lifted one pale shoulder, and the strap of her black slinky dress slid downwards as she watched in stone-cold silence while the three young reapers approached the vampire.

"This isn't right," I said under my breath.

"No," Zed agreed. "But it's the world we live in."

I frowned, not liking the complacency in his tone. Before I could say anything else, the lavender-haired fae stepped forward.

"This is wrong. The wolf killed members of every species. He put the entire supernatural community at risk. This is a direct violation of the first rule, and the consequence has always been execution. The rules aren't being bent… they're being disregarded entirely. The reapers are supposed to uphold our laws. If they cannot fulfill their purpose in doing so, and the Council is choosing to cover it up instead of holding them accountable…" The fae woman trailed off and lifted an eyebrow.

The fairy representative turned pale. "Don't you dare…"

"I invoke the Rite of the Masses on the grounds that the Council's ethics and judgment have been clouded by personal ties."

Silence filled the void where murmurs and cries of outrage had been only moments ago.

I turned to Zed, but his expression was locked down hard. "What does that mean?"

"We're going to vote," he said solemnly.

"On what?"

"On whether or not the Council members get to keep their positions."

"And if it's decided they don't?"

"Then we'll have to choose replacements, and they will reevaluate the werewolf's fate."

If I thought the room was tense before, that was nothing compared to the emotions overtaking the room now.

Excitement.

Outrage.

Violence.

They were all there, bubbling up like magma rising through the center of a volcano. Shit was about to erupt.

Zevon hadn't moved, but he was quietly seething from his place of the stage. The blue haired fairy looked like she was about to faint. The other Council members were harder to read, but their expressions ranged from disinterest to curiosity to annoyance.

"Does this kind of thing happen all the time?" I asked Zed, wondering why people were so afraid of the Council if it was that easy to swap out members.

"Are you kidding?" Zed asked. "Who in their right mind wants to call out the Council in front of them? Even assuming that one of the three grounds allowing for Rite of the Masses has been met, can you begin to imagine what happens if the vote fails?"

"Isn't there, like, protection against retaliation or something?"

Zed gave me a look.

"I'll take that as a no," I muttered.

People began to shuffle around us, those that had been lucky enough to find seats rising to their feet as the lavender-haired faerie made her way to the stage.

"What are the grounds?" I whispered, as my eyes followed the fae's movements.

"Bias, corruption, and threat of reveal."

"Threat of reveal?" I repeated.

"Undertaking an act that would threaten to reveal our existence to the mortal world."

I pressed my lips together. They really did take rule number one seriously.

"What happens to a Council member that is voted out?" I asked, my voice dropping even lower.

"We don't stone them to death, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, I mean, you seem to want to execute people for everything else, so can you blame me for wondering?"

Zed shook his head, purposely fixing his eyes on the woman who was now standing just beside his father. The air of expectation swelled as Zevon cleared his throat.

"The floor is yours," he said, his voice smooth despite the slight tightening around his eyes.

The lavender-haired fae woman stepped forward and stared out at the crowd, letting the silence and anticipation mount.

"Wait, we're doing this right now?" I hissed, eyes going wide.

"With something this big, it's better to act right away," Zed whispered.

"It seems a little extreme, having to vote right in front of them," I muttered.

"Thus my earlier comment," Zed said. "Now hush."

I scowled at him, my eyes drifting to the older-looking gentleman to my left. It was rare to see a supernatural with obvious signs of aging, especially with so many having extended lifetimes… zombies notwithstanding. He caught me staring, turning deep amber eyes upon me.

Sexual heat slammed into me, turning my core into a pool of molten liquid.

"Knock it off, incubus," Zed growled beside me, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

I wasn't aware I'd tried to move closer to the stranger until the unexpected warmth faded and my head cleared.

"Jesus, that was intense," I muttered, blinking.

"Some of us get stronger with age," Zed said.

"No kidding," I murmured, moving a little closer to my zombae. So much had happened since returning home, sometimes I forgot how little I actually knew about the world I belonged to.

Finally, the woman started to speak. "People of Seabrook, the choice is up to you. The facts are before you. The Council has knowingly refused to act according to our most ancient laws… namely by not executing one who had proven themselves to be a significant and dangerous threat to the lives of our people, and a threat to exposing us all. In doing so, they fail to remain neutral, just, or fair. They have not acted in the best interest of all of Seabrook's citizens, but rather have allowed personal biases to inform their decisions. This betrayal of our laws cannot go unpunished. So I ask you now, remedy this failure. All in favor of removing the current Council members from their positions, raise your hand."

Hands flew up around us. There was no moment of indecision, no glancing around to see what others were doing. This was a decisive and determined choice, one that had clearly been made long before the faerie started speaking.

Zed and I were two of the only people not to lift our hands in the air. It wasn't hard to tell factions apart like this. The floor was at a bit of an angle, so even standing it was obvious who was, or wasn't, raising their hands. For the most part, the room seemed split by species. Not a single wolf had their hand up, while practically every vamp or fae did. The rest of us were more divided, but there was no doubt about the general consensus.

The vote passed.

The Council would be overturned.

Dread thickened in my stomach because I had a feeling that wasn't the only thing that would be overturned.

"What happens now?" I asked as the room broke out in a dull roar.

Zed grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the way of the exit as people started pushing their way toward it. "For the next twenty-four hours, the supernatural world has no Council."

"That doesn't sound very good," I commented as a group of vampires passed us, their dislike clear in their eyes.

"It's not. There are a lot of reasons the Rite of the Masses isn't called on often. The chaos that's going to ensue until a new Council is formed is one of them."

The last of the camp crowd strode by, hissing at the werewolves that parted for them. A series of growls rumbled in the chests of a few who didn't take too kindly. I sensed a fight brewing when a voice rang out above them.

"Keep on walking. There's nothing to fight about. The vote has been cast, and that's the end of it." My best friend stood between two werewolves, her hands on her hips as she addressed the crowd. Unable to withstand her compulsion, the vampires walked out and the wolves turned away. The tension dissipated.

I pushed through the last of the crowd still lingering.

"It's a madhouse in here," I said as I approached her.

Bree turned and paused. Leaning forward she sniffed once. Her eyes blew wide. "You naughty girl…"

"Bree," I groaned, already knowing where this was going. "This is soooo not the place."

"As a succubus, I will have to respectfully disagree. Every place is a place to have sex with the right crowd," she grinned, and the werewolf beside her smiled back.

I ran a hand down my face. "Don't we have bigger things to worry about right now?"

"At least tell me it was worth it," she said, lowering her voice and leaning forward a fraction.

A grin worked its way up my face. "What do you think?"

She sniffed again, her eyes glowing brighter. "You went back for seconds. He must be good. You usually taste and run."

My back prickled, and I sensed Zed standing behind me. The scent of spearmint and aftershave hit me. I gave Bree a look to shut up, and my best friend grinned. A mischievous glint entered her eye.

"She's 'addicted to my dick'… Isn't that what you told me, Addie?"

My face flamed.

"Oh look, there's your dad. I need to talk to him." I stumbled forward, making my grand escape but not before I heard both Zed and Bree laughing.

I glanced back to see her patting his shoulder. His eyes were still locked on my retreating form. A small smile curled around my lips as I approached the table. Zevon stood beside it, talking to my least favorite witch and the now ex-werewolf rep whose name I never learned.

"The witches and warlocks are unlikely to change our vote, even with a new head. We value balance and the sanctity of life. Particularly when the guilty party is not so guilty." The witch who had performed the blood rite said.

I slowed my steps, listening in.

"I wish I could say the same for the Brotherhood, but it's unlikely with a power shift. The reapers' vote is going to come down to who is selected," Zevon said.

Beside him, the werewolf looked up. Her eyes zeroed in on me. Her voice was all snarl as she said, "Do you know what we do to eavesdroppers in my pack, little reaper?"

I should have felt bad, getting caught red-eared… as it were. "Maybe you shouldn't talk about private things in a public setting, then," I replied.

Zevon's lips twitched. "Fair point, Ms. Wells. As always."

The werewolf's lips pulled back and a low snarl tore from her throat. The witch placed her hand on the wolf's arm and shook her head. "We can continue this conversation later," she murmured.

The two of them walked away as Zed's dad cleared his throat. "I'm sure you have many questions about the day's events, Addison…"

"Actually, you'd mentioned last night that you need to speak with me."

He nodded, but it was distracted. "Yes, yes. I do, but bow…" he broke off and sighed. "I find myself a little busier than anticipated. Perhaps our conversation can wait another day or two? Just until things… settle down."

I raised a brow. His words said one thing, but the way he said them was sending an entirely different message. Zevon didn't believe for a second that things were going to settle down.

"Can it? Are you sure it's… wise to hold off?" What I really wanted to ask was if it was safe to put off whatever it was he felt was so urgent for me to know, but if he was willing to delay enlightening me for the second time, perhaps what he had to share wasn't that important after all.

His lips tightened ever so slightly, but he gave me another nod. "To put it frankly, I don't have the time needed to fully have that discussion with you. We need to make our way to Zeta Omicron Mu. To vote." He smiled, but it was completely devoid of humor. His eyes were haunted and, dare I say, afraid.

Zevon had never seemed anything less than confident and in complete control. Even staring down Zayne as he offered to kill his own son, he'd appeared outwardly calm. Seeing the change, albeit a subtle one, had unease slithering within me.

"Should I even be a part of the vote?" I asked.

Zevon blinked at me, confusion momentarily clouding his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" I dropped my voice. "It's not exactly like I'm a full-blooded reaper."

His expression cleared, but he matched my whispered tone. "No, but that is a fact best left to our house for the time being. As far as everyone else is concerned, you are a Grimm and your place is with us. Now if you'll excuse me, I should try and catch up with some of the others before the voting process begins."

Zevon was walking away before I could utter a goodbye.

"That didn't look like it went well," Zed said, coming up beside me.

I shrugged. "Wasn't much of a conversation. Your dad has a lot on his mind."

Zed snorted. "You think?"

"I overheard him saying the new head of the reapers might vote in favor of execution," I said.

"And that surprises you?" Zed asked, turning his body so that we were concealed from anyone who might walk by.

"Well… yeah, I guess. I mean, they know the truth."

Zed lifted a brow. "A werewolf killed a reaper as retaliation for a sanctioned shredding. That's what kicked all of this off, and no matter what else happened, that fact doesn't change. Add to it the part where that same wolf was a least partially responsible for the death of literally dozens of reapers over the last four years… it's hard to let that go. You aren't the only one who's lost family members Addie. The whole thing is fucked, no matter how you look at it."

"I know. I'm the last person who should talk given how I kidnapped Zayne and got a little stabby on occasion… I just don't want to lose anyone else. If this doesn't calm down, we're going to have an all-out supernatural war on our hands, and win or lose, people die in war. Not everyone gets to come back," I murmured.

I was thinking of Trace, and Bree, and Missy. I could save them. But what about everyone else? There came a point where even I had to have limits, surely? If the fighting became too obvious, the humans in Seabrook would figure it out. Some already had. Missy was proof of that. And what about the people I didn't get too? The ones I couldn't find and therefore couldn't save?

I shook my head. "We need to avoid a supernatural war like that at all costs."

His fingers skimmed my cheek, tucking a stray strand of white hair back. "We will, and the way to do that right now is for us to vote on the best person to represent the reapers. We can't control anything else in this scenario, but we can contribute to that."

I nodded. He was right, but the feeling of dread didn't abate so easily. There was something coming, and it wasn't just the hunter searching for me and Thana. The tension between groups had reached its peak. After years of bitterness and bloodshed caused by Zayne and Wyatt, these people wanted revenge.

I wasn't sure if one execution would be enough to satiate them, though.

"Hey, Wells! Zed! We gotta roll," Bonzo called out, loud enough to jar me from my own deep, and frankly depressing, thoughts.

"We'll be right there," Zed said.

Bonzo shrugged, and the last of the room emptied as the reapers left.

"Come on," I sighed, heading for the door. "I need to check in on Missy and Thana before we head over. I wasn't planning to leave them alone for so long."

Zed dropped a hand on my lower back as we stepped out of town hall. The parking lot was still littered with supernaturals. Several eyes turned to us as we descended the steps, and his hand shifted to curl around my hip, pulling me into his side.

I angled my head, lifting an eyebrow.

"Trying to make a statement, Zed?" I asked lightly.

"Something like that," he muttered, guiding us toward the Impala.

My heart tightened in my chest, but I didn't say anything as we climbed in. I turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. The couple of supes that were lingering near the car jumped away as I put us into reverse and whipped out the lot. It didn't miss my attention that Zed's hand went to the oh-shit bar.

"Trying to make a statement, Addie?" he parroted back to me.

"Something like that." I grinned.

As soon as we hit the highway, I pulled out my cell and dialed Missy. The sound of a chainsaw in the background was the first thing that greeted me.

"Everything alright?" Missy's voice filtered through.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" I replied, merging into the left lane before gunning it.

"Everything's fine here," she said, sounding decidedly distracted.

I narrowed my eyes. "Then why do I hear a chainsaw in the background?"

"Oh, that? We're making art."

"Art?" I asked skeptically.

"Mhmm…" my aunt hummed, still distracted.

"Missy, if something's up, you should tell me…."

"Everything's all good, Addison. We'll see you when you get home. Bye!" The line went dead, and the urge to bang my head on the steering wheel was great.

"Should we stop by your place?" Zed asked.

"No." I blew out a frustrated breath. "Missy's acting weird, but that's not out of character for her. I'm more worried I'm going to come back to find half my house demolished than anything else. Let's get this vote over with so I can figure out what the fuck those two are up to."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know I haven't posted anything in forever, but it was Mardi Gras down here and it didn't happen last year so I went hardcore. But, that's all finished and now I can hopefully re-focus my attention on knocking out a few more chapters. Thanks for sticking with me!